ActiveMQ is an open source message broker that implements the Java Message Service (JMS) API. It allows applications written in different languages to communicate asynchronously. Apache Camel is an open source integration framework that can be used to build messaging routes between different transports and APIs using a simple domain-specific language. It provides mediation capabilities and supports common integration patterns. Both ActiveMQ and Camel aim to simplify integration between disparate systems through message-based communication.